Automatically-closing receptacle



C. H. KORS.

AUTOMAHCALLY CLOSING HECEPTACLE.

- APPLICATION HLED JUNEIB. 1911. v 1,350,816, Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

' 3 SHEEIS-SHEET c. H. KORS, AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING RECEPTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 19H,

1., 350, 8 1 6. Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS$HEET 2. 5 LIFE. 2

a vwewtoz 0 $1, atmwu C. H. KORS.

AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING RECEPTACLE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1917.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

3 SHEEISSHEEI 3.

5] vwemtoi UNITED STATES CHARLES H. KORS, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATICALLY-CLOSIN G RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application filed June 13, 1917. Serial No. 174,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. Kons, a citizen of the United States, residing at Poughkeepsie, Dutchess' county, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatically Closing Receptacles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to automatically closing receptacles and has for its object to provide a receptacle which can be opened without special effort on the part of the user other than substantially the effort necessary to extend the hand toward the receptacle and which will automatically close upon the removal of the hand.

My invention further has for its object to provide a receptacle with a laterally moving closing means operated in the manner just referred to. My invention further has for its object to provide a receptacle having such laterally moving closing means and a rest or support moving with said closing means.

My invention further has for its object to provide a receptacle having an opening 00- cupying a portion only of its front face, and a laterally moving means for closing said opening actuated by the movement of the hand toward the opening with means whereby material contained in the receptacle can be moved laterally so as to be opposite the opening in the face of the receptacle.

The following is a description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a boX embodying my invention with the receptacle open;

Fig. 2 shows a similar view with the re ceptacle closed;

Fig. 3 is a section of a horizontal plane 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a left hand elevation with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a front'view of a modification, the receptacle being shown open;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the same with the parts in closed position;

Fig. Tis a section on the line 7-7, F1g. 6;

Fig. 8 is a left hand end elevation w1th parts broken away;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of another modification, and

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Referring more particularly to the draw- -111gS, l is a receptacle having a removable cover 2 so that material can be introduced, and having in the lower portion of its front face 3 an opening 4. 5 is a slide moving laterally in suitable guide-ways for opening and closing theopening .4. This slide may be of light wood or sheet of other suitable material. Adjacent to its front or advanced edge a projection 6 is secured by means of screws or other fastening devices 7. This projection is adapted to be engaged by the back or side of the hand of the user, as the hand is extended toward the opening in the face of the receptacle, so as to be pushed toward the right, Fig. 2, thereby moving the slide 5 away from the left hand end of the opening so as to uncover the same. After the closure 5 has been moved so as to partially uncover the opening 4, the projection 6 then acts as a guide to guide the hand toward the opening. Projecting forwardly and laterally to the left from the bottom of the guiding projection 6 is a shelf or support 8, upon which the hand can rest after the slide 5 has been moved to open position and while material is taken from the receptacle, thus serving as a support for the hand or hands while the material is being manipulated as is desirable when the container is used to hold filler tobacco for the making of cigars.

In order to cause the slide to move toward the left so as to close the opening 4:, I provide afree spring roller 9 having rolled thereon a curtain 10, one end of which is attached to the slide bysuitable securing means 11, at a point adjacent to the righthand side of the projection 6. This curtain has an opening 12 which, when the slide is moved to the right, permits the hand to be extended inward so as to enter the container. hen the slide moves to closed position the left hand end engages the left-hand wall of the box and is stopped thereby (Fig. In order to protect the edges of this opening, the slide is preferably provided with frame-like structure 13 having an opening registering with the opening in the curtain when the slide is moved to the right,this frame being shown in Fig. 2 in full lines and in Fig. 1 partly in dotted lines.

The opening 4 uncovered by the slide 5 is adjacent to the left-hand lower corner of the face of the container, with the result that the contents or material in the righthand lower corner of the container is not easily accessible through said opening. In

order to make such material accessible through the opening in the left-hand lower corner, I provide in the bottom of the container a continuous movable belt l t-carried on-rollers 15, as shown in'Fig. 3. The right-hand roller is provided with a handle 16 projecting through the forward face of the boxso as to admit of the easy manipulation of the supporting belt. The belt is provided with transverse slats 17 so that it will carry along with it some of the material supported thereby.

In the manufacture of cigars, it is found that in certain seasons of the year the tobacco, on account of the excessive humidity of the air, becomes too moist. In order to remove-this excess moisture I provide in my'container openings 18 preferably controlled by a damper 1-9 and in the bottom of thebox provide an exhaust port 20 connected to the ordinary suction pipes 21 now commonly used in cigar manufacturing. The openings'18' and the exhaust 20 are adjacent to the opening 4: and to where the material lies which will be next used by the operator. This exhaust port is preferably covered by a perforated head 22. By exhausting the air through the port 20 I am enabled to produce sufficient circulation to dry the tobacco within the box sufiiciently for use under practically all atmospheric conditions. The connection leading-to the port 20 is controlled by the cook 23.

The connection between the shelf 8 and the guide 6 is preferably such that the surface is one continuous curve, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, sothat there are no corners to be caught.

presentin which material would be likely The forward edge of the guide 6'is preferably provided with an antifriction roller 6.

The spring roller 9 is alwaysfree, tending to keep the slide 5 in its left-hand position andto restore it to that position when moved therefrom. 7

In the containers shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the slide is a gravity-actuated slide consisting of a flat plate 25 supported by anti-friction wheels 26 and suitable guide- Ways- 27 The slide carries a stop 28'which limits the downward movement of V the slide by its engagement with the bar 29. The forward end of the slide is provided with an actuating guide 30 and shelf 31 connected 'slide, said slide extending from voluntary movement other than that required to extend the. h an d toward the opening in the receptacle. As the hand is extended: towardthe, opening from a direction slightly to the left thereof, it is made to engage the vertically extendingguide and force the slide to the right so as'to uncover the openinginthe receptacle, and the upright portion then in engagement acts as a guide for the hand to guide it through said opening. Upon the complete withdrawal of theZha-nd the slide closes automatically and if it is desired to hold the slide open while some of the extracted contents of the receptacle is beingmanipulated, that can be done by resting the hand upon the shelf projecting laterally from the guide and performing such manipulating.

In the form shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the slide is a vertically moving slide 32, provided with a downwardly and forwardly extending guiding projection 33. The box when in use is raised .so that in reaching toward the opening one extends the hand in an upwardly slanting direction andin so doing engages the guide 33 carried by the vertically moving slide 32, thus raising the slide 32 so as-to uncover the opening 3% in the lower portion ofthe face of the box.

The projecting portion 33 which was engaged to produce theopemng movement of the slide 32 then servesas a guide for guiding the hand through the uncovered opening and upon the removal of :the hand the slide automatically closes. The guide 33 in this instance is somewhat in advance of the forward or closing. edge 35 of-the slide 32, and 1s provldedwlth an anti-friction roller 36 to help'in the opening and guiding functions. In o'rderto somewhat reduce the effort the slide 32 may be partially counterbalanced by a weight 3'7 'connectedthereto by a cord 38, running over pulleys 39.

In theformsshow'n in-Figsl l to 8 the centralportion of the vertical projection on the slide constitutes the guide and the slide projects from the rear side only of the guide and so does not interferewith the movementof the handalong the forward side of the guide and past the slide into the opening When-the slide is retracted. 7'

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits of various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of theappended claims.

That I claim is: 1. In a normally closed receptacle, the

combination of a container having an opening inits front face, a slide normally tending to move to close said opening, and an outwardly projecting guide fixed onsaid slide adjacent lto the forward edge thereof and guiding the hand past theedge of said said guide only on the rear side thereof.

2. In a normally closed receptacle, the combination of a container having an opening in its front face, a slide normally tending to move to cover said opening, an outwardly extending guide on said slide adjacent to the forward edge of the closing portion thereof and adapted to be engaged by the hand of the user so as to move said slide to open position and to guide the hand of the user toward said opening when said slide is so moved, and a contact roller carried by said guide.

3. In a normally closed receptacle, the combination of a container having an opening in its front face, a closure normally tending to move laterally to cover said opening, and an outwardly extending guide on said closure adjacent to the forward edge of the closing portion thereof and adapted to be engaged by the hand of the user so as to move said closure to open position and to guide the hand of the user past the forward edge of said slide and toward said opening when said closure is so moved said slide projecting beyond said guide only on the rear side of said guide.

a. In a normally closed receptacle, the combination of a container having an opening in its front face, a slide normally tending to move to cover said opening, an out wardly and upwardly extending guide on said slide adjacent to the forward edge of the closing portion thereof and adapted to be engaged by the hand of the user so as to move said slide to open position and to guide the hand of the user toward said opening when said slide is so moved, said slide being movable laterally along the face of said container, and a forwardly extending shelf projecting from a point adjacent to the bottom of said slide and beyond the closing edge of said slide.

5. In a normally closed receptacle, the combination of a container having an opening located in its front face and at a point removed from one end thereof, a slide normally tending to move to cover said opening, an outwardly and upwardly extending guide on said slide adjacent to the forward edge of the closing portion thereof and adapted to be engaged by the hand of the user so as to move said slide to open position and to guide the hand of the user toward said opening when said slide is so moved, said slide being movable laterally along the face of said container, and a laterally movable support in the bottom of said container for laterally moving the contents thereof toward said opening.

6. In a normally closed receptacle, the combination of a container having an open ing in its front face, a closure adapted to move laterally to cover and uncover said opening, and an outwardly extending guide on said closure adjacent to the forward edge of the closing portion thereof and adapted to be engaged by the hand of the user so as to move said closure to open position and to guide the hand of the user toward said opening and past said forward edge when said closure is so moved, said slide projecting beyond said guide only on the rear side thereof, a flexible connection fastened to said slide and extending across said opening when said slide is in open position, and spring take-up means mounted on said receptacle for winding up said flexible connection and tending to move said slide to closed position.

CHARLES H. KORS. 

